Schemer (22 page)

Wayne and Stephanie had recently sold their three-bedroom house in Collier Row and were currently renting a beautiful four-bedroom property in Chigwell. It had been Wayne’s idea to move, as he had wanted the kids to go to a good school in a decent area. He had suggested that they rent for six months just to make sure that they were happy with their new surroundings; then, providing they were, they would buy.

‘Good job Wayne had the sense not to buy that house straight away if that’s the case. How long did he sign the contract for?’ Cathy asked.

‘Six months with an option to buy at the end of it. The owner’s living abroad apparently. Keep schtum now, Steph’s just pulled up in her jeep,’ Pam said as she hobbled into the hallway.

‘Nanna,’ Dannielle screamed as she ran up the path.

Pam hugged her granddaughter then ruffled Tyler’s gorgeous blond hair. ‘You all right, boy?’ she asked him.

Tyler smiled and nodded. Unlike his sister who had been chatting away like there was no tomorrow at nearly three years old, Tyler’s speech hadn’t developed properly yet. When he did try to speak, it was extremely difficult to understand what he was saying, which seemed to make him frustrated. Pam had recently wondered if this was the main cause of his temper tantrums, but she hadn’t yet broached her views to Stephanie. Her daughter had enough on her plate with the wedding.

‘Now, who wants some ice cream? Nanna’s got chocolate or banana. Is it OK for them to have some?’ Pam asked, turning to Steph.

‘Yeah, course it is. Actually Mum, I was gonna ask you a favour. A pal of mine wants me to go out with her tonight. Could you look after the kids for me and I’ll pick ’em up first thing in the morning?’

‘I can’t, Steph. I start work at half six,’ Pam replied. She had worked in the same baker’s/café for years now, and she daren’t be late on a weekday. The place was rammed by seven with workmen wanting their full English.

‘Please, Mum. I promise you faithfully that I’ll get here by six and I’ll drop you off at work an’ all. You don’t have to worry about getting them washed or dressed. They can get in the motor in their nightclothes and I can do all that when I get them home.’

‘Who’s this friend then?’ Pam asked, suspiciously.

Unable to control her emotions any more, Stephanie’s eyes filled with tears.

‘Whatever’s the matter? I’m your mother and I know something’s been wrong with you this past week or so, Steph. Is it Wayne? You’re not having second thoughts about getting married to him, are you?’

Stephanie gave a tearful laugh and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her black coat. ‘No, me and Wayne are fine and I’m really looking forward to the wedding,’ she said.

She and Wayne had come a long way since their first drunken sexual encounter in an alleyway. Steph had hated herself at the time for how she had treated Barry and had pushed Wayne away. It took six months of him pursuing her before she had agreed to give their relationship a whirl and they had been together ever since.

‘Dish the kids up some ice cream, Cath, while I have a quick chat with Steph. The hundreds and thousands are in the top right-hand cupboard,’ Pam shouted, as she ushered her daughter up the stairs. ‘Whatever’s wrong, love?’ Pam asked, as Stephanie sat dejectedly on the edge of her bed.

‘It’s Tammy. You know I told you I ain’t seen much of her since she got with this new bloke she met up town.’

Pam nodded.

‘Well, she rang me last week to tell me she’s jacking in her job in the Futures market to move to Spain with him. He’s a property developer, apparently, and that’s where his business is based. What am I gonna do, Mum? We’ve been best mates for as long as I can remember and I can’t imagine life without her.’

Pam sat down and held her daughter close to her chest. Stephanie and Tammy had been best friends ever since primary school, so she could understand how Steph felt. She would be distraught if Cathy ever sodded off to Spain, that was for sure.

As a child, Tammy had been slightly overweight and a bit of an ugly duckling, but as the years had passed, she had turned into a beautiful swan. Tammy’s once ginger shoulder-length hair was now long and a reddy auburn. The freckles that had once smothered her face were now barely visible, and she had the most voluptuous size ten figure that Pam had ever seen.

‘What am I gonna do without her, Mum?’ Steph repeated. She was now twenty-five, but with her mother’s comforting arms around her, she suddenly felt as if she were fifteen all over again.

‘Well, with her looks and that saloon-girl figure of hers, Tammy was always gonna meet the man of her dreams one day, love. Spain ain’t the end of the world. You and Wayne are hardly skint, so you can always go and visit her, and I bet she comes back to England regularly. I mean, all her family still live ’ere, don’t they?’

Stephanie sighed. She knew deep down she was being selfish thinking the way she was, but she couldn’t help herself. Tammy had had loads of boyfriends in the past, but had never actually moved in with any before. Steph genuinely wanted her pal to meet Mr Right and be happy like she was. She just wished Mr Right wasn’t based in bloody Spain.

‘So, is that where you’re going tonight? Out with Tammy?’ Pam enquired.

‘Yeah. We’re going for a meal together to have a heart to heart. I’m just a bit worried about her, Mum. That is such a good job she’s got, she’s on amazing money there, and I can’t believe she’s giving it all up for some bloke she’s only known a couple of months. Tam’s always been so sensible in the past, if you know what I mean?’

Pam smiled. ‘Oh, I know what you mean all right, but it’s obvious to me that the girl has finally found the one. I knew immediately when I met your dad – and look at you and Wayne, childhood sweethearts. You must try and be happy for Tammy, love. She’ll resent you if you’re not.’

‘I am happy for her, Mum. I can’t wait to meet him, actually. It’s happened so fast, I know he must be really special.’

‘Are you meeting him tonight as well?’ Pam asked.

‘No. He’s gone back to Spain on business, but Tam’s gonna introduce us when he comes back next week. All I know is that his name is Richard, he sells property and he’s twenty-nine.’

‘When is she moving? She’ll still be here for your wedding, won’t she?’ Pam asked, worriedly.

Stephanie raised her eyebrows. ‘I should bloody well hope so, she’s my chief bridesmaid. Tam’s just given three months’ notice at work, so she’ll be here until April, at least.’

‘Good job your Wayne surprised you with a winter wedding then, eh? You might have been searching for another bridesmaid, if not.’

Remembering how Wayne had proposed to her, Stephanie couldn’t help but grin. They had discussed getting married many times over the years, but what with the kids and other stuff getting in the way, they had never quite got round to it. This Christmas, however, Wayne had taken the bull by the horns, and in front of her mum, Lin and the kids, had got down on one knee.

‘Steph, I’m sick of waiting for you to be my wife, so I’m asking you one last time. Will you bloody well marry me?’ he’d asked, with a cheeky grin on his face.

Stephanie had thought he was drunk, so had laughed, kissed him and said ‘yes’. Seconds later, she had been gobsmacked when Wayne had handed her a big envelope. He had brazenly taken the liberty of booking everything from the venue to the entertainment, bless him. The venue was a classy manor house in rural Essex, and the ceremony, meal and reception were being held there as well. Stephanie was extremely excited. Wayne’s proposal had been the most romantic gesture ever and he had spared no expense. He had even paid a deposit on rooms in a local hotel so all their friends and family could stay there for the night.

‘What we talking about? Oh, don’t tell me, let me guess. My money say’s we’re talking about the wedding again,’ Angela said sarcastically as she barged into the bedroom. She hadn’t been with her family when Wayne had proposed, but they had spoken about little else ever since.

Pam threw her youngest daughter a disdainful look. Angela had always been jealous of Stephanie and Wayne’s relationship from the very beginning, and Pam had never believed Angie’s lies about her losing her virginity to Wayne at the age of thirteen. ‘I swear it’s true, Mum. Wayne’s a pervert,’ Angela had insisted on numerous occasions.

Pam hadn’t wanted to upset Stephanie, but she had once confronted Wayne about the subject. He vehemently denied it all, and laughed. ‘You know what your Angie’s like. She’s a dreamer, a chancer and a terrible fucking liar. She had a crush on me in school. She lied about her age. I met up with her a couple of times, snogged her face off, then dumped her when I found out she was thirteen. That’s it,’ Wayne had told her. Pam believed him, as she remembered Angela telling her the same bloody story years ago when she and Stephanie used to refer to him as Jacko.

‘Where’s Aidan?’ Pam asked.

‘Downstairs with Dannielle and that other brat,’ Angela said coldly. She couldn’t stand Tyler. His little tantrums did her head in.

Stephanie leapt off the bed and pointed a finger in her sister’s face. ‘Don’t you dare call my son a brat, and what you said about Grandad earlier at the graveside was absolutely disgusting. I weren’t gonna tell Mum, but I will now.’

Pam stared at her two daughters in dismay. She hated it when they argued – so much so that she was relieved that they rarely saw one another any more. ‘Will yous two stop it? We’ve just buried your grandfather, for Christ’s sake. Have some respect, the pair of you.’

Stephanie wasn’t usually a grass. Angela was the master of that, but for once she couldn’t help but spill her guts. ‘Respect! Angela wouldn’t know the meaning of that word, Mum. As Grandad’s coffin was being lowered into the ground, she told me what a horrible selfish old bastard he was. She said that instead of spending his meagre bit of savings on a horse and cart and a piss-up for his mates at his own funeral, he should have left it to her.’

Unable to take any more stress for one day, Pam put her head in her hands and cried. It had been she who had forced Stephanie to ask her sister to be a bridesmaid at her wedding and she so wished now that she hadn’t. They didn’t get on, never had done, and Pam knew in her heart of hearts that Stephanie’s big day had disaster stamped all over it. She could feel it in her aching bones.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Wayne Jackman opened his overloaded wardrobe and sifted through the quality clobber he had inside. He had always been a sucker for a designer label. As a teenager he’d had a passion for Sergio Tacchini, Fila and Lacoste, but now he was a successful businessman, it was all about Gucci, Armani and Ralph Lauren. Choosing a crisp white shirt, Wayne studied his physique in the full-length mirror. He trained for hours in his own gym and his dedication had paid off big time. His stomach was taut, he had arms that were toned to perfection, and he always wore his jeans or trousers that little bit tighter to show off the rippling muscles in his legs.

Checking his watch, Wayne pulled his favourite jeans out of the wardrobe and took his expensive tan leather shoes out of their box. He was running a bit late, and didn’t have time to ponce about for ages as he usually did when he was going out. Stephanie always took the piss out of him. She reckoned he was a right tart and took longer to get ready than she did. Glancing in the mirror again, Wayne added a dab more Brylcreem to his hair. Gone was the dodgy Eighties wedge style: he now wore it slicked back to give him a more sophisticated look. Finishing off his beauty regime by dousing his cheeks in aftershave, Wayne smirked as he stared at the finished article. At six foot two, he was tall, but because he was supple and fit, he didn’t look lanky. His body was in perfect proportion for his height. Picking up his car keys, Wayne grabbed a jacket and sauntered out of the bedroom. Tonight he was meeting his old school pals, Mark Potter, Chris Cook and Danny MacKenzie. Danno, Wayne had kept in regular contact with since school. Cooksie and Potter he hadn’t seen for years, but had made an effort to contact them because of his forthcoming wedding. Wayne grinned as he leapt into his BMW. It had been ages since he’d had a decent night out with the lads and he was looking forward to this one immensely.

Tammy looked stressed at she dashed into the restaurant. ‘Sorry I’m late. Somebody chucked themselves under the train at Liverpool Street, so I had to arse about getting a cab to Mile End. Why are people so bloody inconsiderate these days? Couldn’t whoever it was have just took an overdose of tablets or jumped off a cliff? Rather then ballsing up everybody else’s day, mine included.’

Laughing, Stephanie stood up and hugged her best friend. Tammy’s wonderful sense of humour was just one of the many things she was going to miss when her pal emigrated to Spain. ‘I ordered us a bottle of Pinot, but I’ve already drunk half of it. Shall we have another bottle before we eat? I’m not that hungry yet and I haven’t got to go home early. My mum’s got the kids for the night, thank God.’

‘Suits me, girl,’ Tammy replied, helping herself to a glass of wine.

‘So how’s Tricky Dicky then? Has he been ringing you up from Spain?’ Steph asked, nosily. Tricky Dicky was her nickname for Tammy’s new boyfriend. His real name was Richard, but Steph rarely referred to him as that. Seeing as he’d appeared out of nowhere and was now taking her best friend away from her, Tricky Dicky somehow suited him better.

‘Yep, he’s been ringing me every day. Business is booming at the moment by all accounts, so it all looks promising for when I move out there. I love your hair, Steph. You’ve had it done different, haven’t you?’ Tammy remarked, changing the subject.

Stephanie ran her fingers through her bouncy dark curls. Everybody had always said she was pretty – stunning, in fact – but she had never really felt that way. Being five foot eight, she had always felt a bit gawky. She knew she had a cheeky smile, nice white teeth and cute dimples, but other than that she had always felt quite plain compared to her sister, Angela. ‘I’ve been using heated rollers on it, but I don’t put them in every day. I can’t be arsed unless I’m going out somewhere. Do you think I should have it like this for the wedding? I’m not sure it will look right with that little tiara thing I’ve bought.’